Sibu sanctuary was the highlight of my trip to Nosara, costa rica. Vicki and Steve are two of the most kind, welcoming people I've encountered. Thy welcomed us into their sanctuary as well their home with open arms. Steve took us on a tour of the sanctuary and all the exotic plants, birds, insects, etc.

Next we found Vicki in their one room house devoted to the Animals where she greeted us with the most refreshing fruit juice. We watched a video on how the monkeys of costa rica are electrocuted and burned due to the uninsulated power lines that are becoming more essential for tourism in the area. The sanctuary takes in the monkeys and nurses them back to health. Through a step-down program, they eventually are introduced back into the wild.

Before we knew it, we found ourselves surrounded by howler monkeys and animals of all sorts. Some have no fingers, some no tails. But they all seemed to be in good spirits on their journey back into the jungle. Watching a two-year-old monkey try intensely to figure out how my iPhone worked was amazing. It was great to see the progress they are making.

On the way out Vicki picked us various herbs off random trees and plants. The tastes were incredible. It was a perfect end to our visit at Sibu.

All in all, I would recommend this to everyone visiting Nosara, especially if you have the love for animals that I do. The $50 donation is well worth it, to say the least. I hope to make it back one day.

We arrived at the Sanctuary not sure what to expect. $50 per person for a couple of hours might seem a lot to many people, I can assure you it's an experience worth double !
We were met at the gate by Steve and once parked had an informative and amusing walk up to Steve and Vicki's accommodation and the animal enclosures through beautiful forest. Steve is happy to chat on any subject, we covered politics, geography and of course wildlife. We learnt a little about the flora and fauna in the area and the story of how Steve and Vicki started the rescue centre and the problems uninsulated power lines cause to wildlife across Costa Rica.
Once at the family home we were introduced to Vicki and were served a refreshing fruit juice drink, then we sat down to watch a couple of brief video's about their work and how they are raising awareness with the power companies and local residents and trying to address the power line problems.
Finally the moment had come and we were introduced to the various wildlife that were in the process of being rehabilitated.The animals welfare was always at the forefront of concern, it was a wonderful experience, one we'll never forget.
Steve and Vicki were consummate hosts,and they work tirelessly for the animals, this was an extremely personal activity. Our family would thoroughly recommend a visit here, your entry fee is put to really good use and you'll leave with a warm glow.
Thank you Steve and Vicki for a wonderful visit.

Set in the sleepy Tico village of Santa Marta, Sibu Sanctuary is 50acres of Costa Rican Jungle and tropical gardens. As you pass through the monkey themed gates you will get a sense of something special going on. The first person you meet will be Steve Coan, one of the two owners (and tireless workers!). He takes you along the trail explaining the history of the sanctuary and how the whole project began. With a wide knowledge of the area, the wildlife and some ‘hilarious’ jokes, Steve makes you feel at ease and you will get a sense of the true wilderness of Costa Rica and the wonder of it.

After this first part of the tour, you will be taken to the sanctuary house where you will meet Vicky Coan, the other owner. No doubt Vicky will have some drinks ready for you and even more trivia on local wildlife and fill you in all the day to day in and outs of running a wildlife sanctuary. You will be made feel right at home as you watch two short movies outlining the issues of conservation in Costa Rica.

Then the real magic begins the animals! A trip to the enclosure is something to be savoured. Pisotes, squirrels, racoons and of course, the monkeys! You will learn that every animal has their own personality, likes and dislikes and habits. An amazing experience!

After a visit to Sibu Sanctuary you will realise the issues with conservation in Costa Rica, and the world in general, but also how two extremely hard working and dedicated people can make such a difference. They have worked endlessly and re-released countless animals to the wild with the step down release programme and have lobbied and worked with the Costa Rican government to try and cut the current problems facing the wildlife there, mainly the un-insulated power lines.

As someone who had the extremely good fortune to live and volunteer there for two months, take my advice and take a break from surfing or zip lines and everything else and take a trip to see Sibu. It will be something you will never forget and a great opportunity to see things most people would never see in their lives. All money paid for visits goes straight back into the sanctuary so it’s for a good cause.

You have a choice to visit the refuge or the sanctuary, we visited the refuge. Very dedicated people, wonderful to visit the baby monkeys up close. Does the previous reviewer realize that this lifestyle dedication does not bear costs? Think it's easy to get the electric company to insulate the power lines? Try it. Only complaint and suggestion would be it would be nice to be able to visit both the refuge and the sanctuary same day, as there is travel involved to get there.